There are a variety of apparatus and methods in the golf industry that provide limited information relating to golf ball trajectory and speed. Because a golf ball in flight generally adheres to the same basic principles of physics as other projectile objects, available systems today attempt to provide calculated information such as estimated carry and flight path based on numerous ball measurements obtained by a host of detectors and other related equipment.
Many systems have been proposed in the past to measure spatial positioning and information for a golf ball, a tennis ball or any other spherical projectile. These systems generally include numerous detectors and switches located along an expected flight path for the object. The spherical object may thus impinge upon particular detectors to thereby actuate corresponding electrical switches. Many transmission type or reflection type photoelectric switches may be also placed along an expected flight path, and may be actuated when a ray input for particular switches are blocked off by the object. Scanning laser beams have been also proposed that are paralleled across an expected flight path of a spherical object by using a concave mirror and lens system. The spherical object may pass through a scanning plane to thereby measure beam cut-off timing to determine launch positioning and angles for the spherical object in flight. At the same time, visual systems have also been provided that provide video camera images of the projectiles to provide relevant spatial information.
There are many disadvantages to these present day training systems which have been adapted for golf ball and club swing analysis. For example, some systems affect the intended path of the projectile or fail to obtain careful measurements which provides inaccurate flight information. Most apparatus also require a large number of switches, sensors or detectors to cover a relatively wide flight path area for the spherical projectile. In order to overcome some of the foregoing disadvantages or problems of the conventional measuring methods, systems has been proposed for determining the position of a flying spherical object with a parallel light band generated and projected onto a screen to form a linear image region. When a spherical object in flight crosses the parallel light band, it creates a silhouette on the screen within the image region. The position of this silhouette is detected by using sensors to thereby determine an instantaneous spatial position of the flying spherical object. The disadvantages for this system have been further overcome with measuring apparatus that purportedly determines instantaneous positioning of the object in flight without coming into contact therewith. The flight information may include speed, position and launch angle. Despite the foregoing efforts, golf training systems today still require excessive instrumentation and equipment.